Nepal tunes in to Jazzmandu 2017

Music truly recognises no boundaries of space and time! When jazz originated in the late 90s in New Orleans (USA), who could have predicted that the denizens of Nepal would be hooked on to the genre in 2017! Such is the popularity of this unique soundscape that the Kathmandu Jazz Festival – or Jazzmandu as it is popularly called – draws an ever-increasing footfall every year. The explicit mission of the festival is to bring quality jazz to Nepal, transcend cultural boundaries, and spread the message of peace and compassion through music.

Initially launched in 2002 by Chhedup Bomzan (of The Jazz Upstairs Bar) and Navin Chettri (drummer and vocalist of Cadenza), the musical extravaganza has successfully promoted jazz in Nepal and brought world-class musicians from USA, Brazil, Canada, Holland, England, Cuba, Africa, Norway, Germany, Australia, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan, and India amongst others to Kathmandu. Jazzmandu strives to make jazz music accessible to as many people as possible by actively including free shows, educational school programs and workshops. The festival also draws tourists, promotes creativity, encourages the sharing of international sounds and ideas, pushes the limits and boundaries of musical expectations and nurtures the talents of local Nepali musicians. The official promo of Jazzmandu 2017 can be found here :

It should come as no surprise that Alliance Française de Katmandou has been supporting Jazzmandu for many years. Several artists from different francophone countries have performed at the festival over the last couple of years which has helped promote intercultural dialogue between France and Nepal. For the 2017 edition of Jazzmandu, many jazz musicians made their Kathmandu debut by performing for school students at AF Kathmandu. The french jazzy-fusion groove band ElekTrip were also brought in for the finale of the festival on Oct 18 thanks to the tour organised by Alliance Française de Pune in collaboration with DGAF Inde-Népal and Spedidam. The motley band with Adrien Coulomb on the electric bass, Ludovic Pradarelli on the keys, Antoine Muller on the drums and Benjamin Guimbert on the electric guitar helped end the festival on a high note!